“The passage of GENDA and the ban on conversion therapy practices are major steps forward for the LGBTQ community, and signal that New York State is ready to be a true progressive leader that supports and affirms transgender, gender nonconforming and nonbinary New Yorkers as well as our youth,” said Glennda Testone, Executive Director of NYC’s LGBT Community Center. “We celebrate these long-overdue wins, Governor Cuomo’s commitment to making them a reality and the tireless activism from all who refused to give up on making New York a more inclusive state despite seemingly insurmountable boundaries. These victories show what we can do when we come together in support of one another, and what’s possible for the road ahead.”

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “One of my proudest moments as a Senator was when we passed the Marriage Equality Act. But that was eight years ago now, and since then the former Senate Republican Majority refused to pass any real protections for the LGBTQ community. Now, under the Democratic Majority, this Senate chamber is affirming that we stand with our LGBTQ community. I commend Senator Hoylman for his leadership on these bills and this important issue and I thank my partners in government, Speaker Heastie and Governor Cuomo, for moving to have these bills become law so swiftly. I am proud that the Senate Majority has passed these historic bills, and we will continue to move ahead with our ambitious, progressive agenda.”

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, “For years, the Assembly Majority has passed GENDA and legislation to ban conversion therapy because we know every New Yorker deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. With our new democratic partners in the State Senate, we are extremely grateful that these important measures will now become law. I would also like to give special thanks to Assemblymembers Dick Gottfried and Deborah Glick as well as the many members of the Assembly Majority for their tireless dedication to these critical issues.”

Assembly Member Deborah J. Glick said, “”It is a great triumph to the see these two pivotal bills be signed today. GENDA will ensure that New York State’s civil rights and hate crimes laws include protections for the transgender and gender non-conforming communities that have seen so much discrimination in America over the years. Additionally, the ban on so-called Conversion Therapy will outlaw the much-discredited practice of subjecting minors to the destructive process of trying to change their immutable sexuality or gender expression in this state. The New York State Legislature and the Governor have achieved a clear objective in bringing justice to the many New Yorkers who have been harmed by a lack of these protections and will ensure that generations to come are protected. I am so pleased to see these bills, which many advocates and my colleagues and I have worked for years to pass, be finally signed into law.”

Senator Brad Hoylman said, “It’s a new day in Albany. After eight years of the Senate blocking any LGBTQ-specific legislation, today Governor Cuomo signs into law two landmark bills to protect the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers and prevent our kids from being subject to the barbaric practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy.’ As the Trump administration continues to roll back protections for LGBTQ Americans, today’s victory sends a strong message to LGBTQ people across the State of New York: your civil rights protections have the full force and effect of law. I’m deeply grateful to Governor Andrew Cuomo for his historic and steadfast support of LGBTQ New Yorkers and proud to be part of a Democratic Majority that works with the Governor to safeguard the rights of all New Yorkers under the leadership of Andrea Stewart-Cousins. I’m also sincerely thankful to my colleagues in the Assembly, Deborah Glick and Richard Gottfried, for their persistence and determination over the years, as well as Senator Michael Gianaris and former Senators Tom Duane and Daniel Squadron.”

Assembly Member Richard N. Gottfried, the original Assemblyintroducer and sponsor of GENDA, said, “Today is an historic day. Governor Cuomo took strong action in 2015 when he issued statewide regulations under the State’s Human Rights Law that prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender identity and transgender status. But adding gender expression and identity to the Human Rights Law and the Penal Law will give proper recognition, protection against repeal of these regulations, and add protection under the State’s Hate Crimes Law. With an administration of bullies in Washington, New York is standing up for common sense, fairness, and justice.”

Throughout his administration, Governor Cuomo has championed LGBTQ rights and led New York as it passed groundbreaking legislation protecting LGBTQ community. In 2011, the Governor passed the historic Marriage Equality Act, creating a new national standard and sending the message that this fundamental inequality must come to an end.

Most recently, in anticipation of the potential rollback of critical Affordable Care Act provisions, Governor Cuomo directed the Department of Health to issue regulations prohibiting health care providers from discriminating against transgender patients, and directed the Department of Financial Services to issue regulations expanding anti-discrimination protections for transgender individuals when accessing health insurance. These directives were in direct response to the Trump administration’s proposal to repeal a federal regulation that clarifies that the Affordable Care Act’s non-discrimination protections based on sex include protections based on gender identity. By removing these protections, approximately 90,300 transgender New Yorkers would be exposed to unfair, blatant and unlawful discrimination.

In direct response to the federal government’s rollbacks on federal protections for transgender students in 2017, the Governor directed the State Education Department to issue a directive to school districts reinforcing the protections from discrimination and harassment afforded to transgender students under New York State law.